[Children’s Day Hand-Play Songs] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy Together
May 5th is Tango no Sekku—Children’s Day, a holiday celebrating children’s healthy growth! Many families decorate with carp streamers and samurai dolls and enjoy a festive meal.
In this article, we’ve gathered some recommended hand-play songs perfect for Children’s Day.
How about trying them with your family after the celebration? These are all ideal for kids in nursery school and kindergarten, so have fun adding Children’s Day–themed twists as you play!
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[Hand-Play Songs for Children's Day] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Children's Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy (51–60)
Vegetable Song
The fingerplay song “Vegetable Song” features lots of veggies.
Many vegetables pop up in the lyrics, and it’s a song you can enjoy through playful sounds, onomatopoeia, and puns.
From familiar everyday produce to vegetables with katakana names, I think it helps you learn lots of names in a fun way.
If you sing and dance to this song at the table, it would be wonderful if kids start thinking, “Hey, I know that vegetable!” and take a little more interest in their meals.
Ten thousand feet in the Alps
It’s a traditional hand game where two people pair up, sing a song, and clap each other’s hands.
Haven’t most adults tried it at least once? Because it’s a simple, easy-to-remember hand game, it’s a casual activity you can do anytime, anywhere—whether with a parent and child or between friends—so it’s fun even on a whim.
The Curry Rice Song
If your family is planning to make your child’s favorite curry on Children’s Day, try singing this “Curry and Rice Song” with hand motions! The song goes through the steps of making curry rice by adding ingredients, and ends with enjoying the delicious meal.
As you sing, shape the ingredients with your hands and use motions to show putting them into the pot.
When it’s time to eat, make sure to use big, hearty eating motions! Once you can sing this hand-play song, you might even be able to help Mom or Dad with the cooking!
What shall we make with rock, scissors, paper?
Another extremely famous masterpiece in the world of hand-play songs, “What Can We Make with Rock, Scissors, Paper?” In this game, you shape your hands into rock, scissors, or paper and combine them to sing about what they can represent.
Well-known examples include a snail made with rock and scissors, and a helicopter with rock and paper.
And depending on the child, they might even invent unexpected, brand-new creations.
With just these three predetermined hand shapes, imagination can expand infinitely—this is a timeless classic among hand-play songs.
Panda, Rabbit, Koala
In the fingerplay song “Panda, Rabbit, Koala,” after the part where you call the animals over with a beckoning motion, you use gestures to form the three animals—panda, rabbit, and koala.
To keep the three from getting mixed up, really picture each animal and strike a clear pose.
Try speeding up the tempo or slowing it down—if you add little variations as you sing, your child will surely have fun, laugh, and follow along! Be sure to have a great time playing with these three animals!